Federal workers shun office after public holiday

Most federal workers failed to resume work on Friday in Abuja as the two-day public holiday declared by the Federal Government to mark the Christmas celebration ended on Thursday.
The federal secretariat, which houses various ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government, was devoid of the hustle and bustle associated with the huge numbers of workers and visitors that usually thronged the place.
Our correspondents, who drove through the secretariat, observed that only few workers resumed work and they closed early.
Security guards and policemen were, however, on duty as they scrutinised the few workers that resumed for work.
Ministries of Health, Education and Police Affairs, and other offices were under lock and key.
The situation was the same at the Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation where only a few staff were seen.
Findings indicated that most of the civil servants had travelled out of the city to their villages and hometowns to celebrate the Yuletide.
A staff of the Ministry of Health, who did not want to be quoted, toldSaturday PUNCHthat the situation was not strange.
"It has always been the case whenever Wednesday and Thursday are public holidays and the two weekend days are just near. So there may be no need to come to work again.
"Moreover, most civil servants have travelled far. You should not assume that civil servants shun office. I will suggest that you wait till Monday and if on that day, the situation is the same, you can make your assumption," he stated.
A worker with the National Assembly who lived in a satellite town, Kubwa, said she had no plan to resume till January 14, 2014, adding that most of her colleagues may not even resume "that early."
"Majority of federal workers didn't come to the office because the Friday is like a public holiday for us. Many of my colleagues in the National Assembly said they have no plan to resume earlier than January 14 because we know that most of the lawmakers have travelled out of the country and won't be back till late in January, so what is the point in going to sit in the office doing nothing," the worker who declined to identify herself, said.
SOURCE: PUNCH.